Daughter of a Knight
by Witchy-willow
Summary: Kalten is charged to do something, and you know how that Knightly code is. But will he be able to cope with a three year old?
1. Default Chapter

This is my first time to write a David Eddings Story, so please keep your flames to a minimum. R&R Everyone, just so I know if I should Continue this or not.  
  
Disclaimer-I own nothing. Sparhawk and his friends belong to David Eddings. The only thing I have claim to is Cassidy, and please ask before you use her.  
  
Chapter One-The Meeting  
  
Kalten walked quietly through the streets of Cimmura, cursing the slight creaking his armor made. Anyone in this city would recognize the sound of armor, and that would ruin his cover. He was carefully watching his steps, looking for something, and that allowed him to stop before he stepped on the body that was stretched out on the alleyway ground. He thought she was dead, but when he looked closer, he saw that she was still breathing. Blood was slowly pooling underneath her head, and Kalten knew that she wouldn't make it no matter what he did. He was tempted to just walk past, acting like he had never seen her, but then she spoke.  
  
"Cassidy?"  
  
Kalten still could have walked away, but the moment that the little girl, no more than three years old, darted from the shadows, he knew that there was no way he could leave. It was monstrous enough leaving a dying woman in an alleyway, but it was even worse to leave a little child there.  
  
"Mommy? Mommy what's wrong? You have to get up mommy, we need to get home."  
  
Kalten felt his heart wrench at the little girls voice, for he knew that her mother would never be going home again. The woman must have known it too, but she smiled up at her daughter all the same. She reached out a hand and cupped her daughters face, brushing away the child's tears.  
  
"Cassidy, listen to me. I want you to know that I will always love you, no matter what happens, and that I will always be watching out for you. But right now, I have to go away, somewhere where it's not time for you to go. But until that time, I want you to stay with this Knight. His Name is Sir..."  
  
She looked at him questioningly, and Kalten found himself answering before he knew what he was doing.  
  
"Kalten Milady"  
  
She smiled at him, glad that she wouldn't have to answer awkward questions about why she didn't know his name or anything like that. Then her eyes went back to her daughter.  
  
"His Name is Sir Kalten Cassidy, and he'll take good care of you. You can't go to your father, so think of him as your father, okay baby? Promise me you'll be good."  
  
The little girl nodded, and then turned to look at Kalten, who gave her a small smile. He didn't know why, but the little girl looked like she needed him, and he was always a sucker for damsels in distress.  
  
"Cassidy, go back to where you were for a few minutes, I want to make sure that he understands."  
  
The girl didn't say anything and went back into the shadows, out of sight. The woman looked at Kalten sadly, and Kalten felt like he wanted to know her, and why she was giving her daughter to him instead of the child's father.  
  
"I'm afraid I don't understand. Why would you give your daughter to me instead of her father?"  
  
The woman smiled, as if she was expecting this question, and like she already had an answer to it.  
  
"My name is Mahara, Sir Kalten, and the answer to that question is very simple. Her father is the one who did this to me, and he would most probably do this to her if he found her. I don't want this to happen to my baby girl, and the Church Knights are the only people who are strong enough, and who hold enough power to keep him from getting her. Plus, I think that you'll make her an excellent father, much better than Ann.."  
  
She trailed off at this point, as if she didn't want to reveal who her child's father was. Kalten nodded his head at her, and then stood up.  
  
"Do you want me to go ahead and take her back to the chapterhouse, or do you want her to be here until the end."  
  
He wouldn't say 'until you died', because the Cassidy might hear, and he already felt a responsibility to her. The woman smiled at him.  
  
"Yes, I do want you to take her, I don't want her to be here when it happens, she's to young to see that sort of thing. Take care of her sir knight, with everything you have."  
  
Kalten nodded, and turned to the little girl, holding out his arms. She came to him without any heading, and he put his cloak around her, keeping it between her and his cold armor, knowing first hand how cold it could be. He began to walk away, careful to keep the creaking of his armor to a minimum, and careful to make sure that he didn't scratch his cargo.  
  
"But don't I get to say good-bye?"  
  
Cassidy twisted in his arms, trying to get a look over his shoulder at the woman that was still lying there, and he sternly but gently turned her back around.  
  
"No Cassidy, she didn't want you to see her like this. But don't worry about her, I'm sure that she'll be fine, where ever she's going."  
  
He smiled down at her, forcing sincerity into his voice, trying to calm her down, and keep her from worrying. She smiled back, her big blue eyes filled with trust, and all of it was directed at him. He realized with a start that he didn't know anything about her, except for her name. Now, that wasn't a good thing, he was going to have to know a lot more about her if he was going to raise her. No time better than the present to find out.  
  
"So Cassidy, how old are you?"  
  
He posed the question in the boyish way that no one could get shy at, and she smiled at him.  
  
"Three."  
  
He almost expected her to hold up three little fingers, just to show him that she could count. He was about to ask her more questions, but she yawned and lay her head back on his shoulder, closing her eyes. Hmm, guess she was sleepy. He could always ask questions later, he wasn't going to wake her up.  
  
About five minutes later, the Pandonian Chapterhouse came into view, and he went through the ritual of getting in, finding it a little hard with the bundle that he carried in his arms. Some of the novices gave him strange looks when he walked in, but he just looked at them sternly, and they went about their business, even though he was sure that their curiosity wasn't quite filled yet. Oh well, they would just have to deal.  
  
Kalten took Cassidy into his room and put her on his cot before leaving to find another. Until he knew exactly where he could put her, and until everyone knew that she was there, they were going to be sharing a room. He wouldn't take the chance that some knight just getting in from a campaign or something to walk in the room she had and sit on her. That wouldn't be good, for her health or the other Knight.  
  
"Goodnight Daddy."  
  
Kalten barely heard her as she turned over in the bed, pulling the blankets tighter around her. When he was sure that he HAD heard her right, he nearly fainted. She was calling him daddy. Oh boy, this was going to be a difficult thing to explain. But, he kind of liked it. It was doubtful that he would ever have a child of his own, so if she wanted him to be her daddy, then he would be.  
  
"Goodnight Cassidy."  
  
he kissed her on the forehead and then settled down to bed himself. He could deal with problems in the morning.  
******* Okay, that was it. That was the first chapter of my story, not very good I'll grant you, but it's good for me. Well, R&R!!! 


	2. Confrentations

Hey everyone, this is the second chapter that took me forever to write but I finally got it out. Hope that you enjoy the product of my hard work, and be sure to read and review.  
  
Disclaimer- See first chapter. **************************************************************************** ***********  
Chapter 2-First Confrontations  
  
Two years after Kalten had adopted Cassidy, she didn't even remember what had gone on before he found her. She had taken to calling him daddy, and so had everyone else, all of them agreeing that he fit the part. He was way over protective, and he was the perfect father. He made HER go to the chapel, even when he didn't attend himself, and several people found that funny. He always knew where she was, and if he didn't, he would take the chapterhouse apart looking for her.  
* "DADDY!!!!!!!"  
  
The scream echoed around the chapterhouse, and Kalten started. He had been practicing his swordsmanship with Sparhawk, but as soon as he heard Cassidy's call, he dropped it and ran off to find her. Her scream sounded like she was in pain, and that made him angry.  
  
He followed the sound of her crying and screams to an unused courtyard, and saw an older boy standing over her with a knife in his hand, and Cassidy already had a scrape going down her left arm. Kalten knew that it was from the boy's knife because it was slightly red on the point.  
  
"Brat, I am a Knight of this Order, and that means you do what I say. Now, give me that necklace you have on. It would look perfect on my little sister."  
  
Cassidy shook her head defiantly.  
  
"No!! I won't give it to you!!!!!! My Daddy's going to hurt you!!!"  
  
Cassidy's cry seemed to enrage the boy, who dove towards her, but was grabbed by Kalten, who had seen enough.  
  
"What do you think you are doing to my daughter boy? And don't give me that bull about it being your privilege to have anything because you are a knight of this order, which you aren't, at least, not any more. I'm going to have your spurs for this."  
  
Kalten's eyes were glittering, and the boy cringed.  
  
"I'm sorry Sir Kalten, I didn't know that she was your daughter. I thought that she was just some urchin. I never would have done that if I knew."  
  
Cassidy screamed.  
  
"LIAR!! I TOLD YOU WHO I WAS!!!"  
  
For a Five year old, she had a loud voice. Kalten grinned at her, but then told her to be quiet.  
  
"Cassidy let him tell his story. I'll ask you what happened in a minute."  
  
The little girl nodded, and bowed her head.  
  
"Be that as it may boy, you would have been punished even more if it had been an urchin. You are supposed to help people, not treat them as if they have to do anything you say, because they don't. Now, Cassidy, you and I are going to take a little walk to Preceptor Vanion's study, and he can give you the proper punishment for your crime."  
  
Kalten set the boy on his feet and held him by the back of his shirt, and held out a hand to Cassidy, who took it without question. Putting the boy in front of them, they marched off towards the chapterhouse, heading to the preceptor's study. **************************************************************************** **********  
  
Okay, that was the second chapter. It took a different direction than I had planned when I started to write it, but I think that I had to show that Kalten took his responsibility seriously. I know that this isn't the best written thing that I have ever done, but I hope that the next chapter will be better. Well, don't forget to Read and Review. Sorry it took me so long to get this out, I've been on vacation. 


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